J&K MLA Nazir Gurezi's Rally Attacked In North Kashmir; Several Injured

Gurezi accused workers of BJP leader Faqeer Khan of orchestrating the attack for the recent loss in the J&K assembly elections.

Gurez: At least a dozen people were injured while several vehicles were also damaged after newly elected MLA Gurez, Nazir Ahmad Khan Gurezi's rally was attacked allegedly by BJP workers in Gujran area of Tulail in north Kashmir's Bandipora district on Tuesday evening, local inputs said.

Police have registered a case into the incident and launched further investigation.

Gurezi has accused the BJP workers of BJP leader Faqeer Khan of orchestrating the attack after the latter lost the recent assembly election against him. However, Faqeer's son and DDC Tulail, Ajaz Ahmad Khan alleged that people in Nazir Khan's rally threw stones at their workers' houses and provoked them, triggering the clashes.

The injured have been taken to a local hospital from where three have been referred to a hospital in Srinagar for specialised treatment.

Police have registered a case into the incident and launched further investigation.

The attack comes days ahead of the election of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Speaker, a post for which Gurezi is a frontrunner besides former Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather.

Assembly Election Flare-Up

Gurez in north Kashmir is one of the 19 seats in Kashmir valley where the BJP fielded its candidate in the recently concluded J&K assembly polls but drew a blank as usual. The saffron party had fielded Congress turncoat Faqeer Khan against Gurezi from Gurez, a ST reserved seat. Khan lost against Gurezi by a rather narrow margin of 1132 votes.